A Safe Place to Hide
by Prefect Rachel
Summary: Both girls are looking forward to their first love. But mayhap there are a few suprises in store? Dumbledore has always said that love has power, but what if you fall in love with the last person you expected to?
1. Just friends?

_A/N: Please be patient, everyone, this is my first ever story, and I'm probably a little fragile. I will happily answer to any and all reviews, so leave me a note!_

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all affiliated with him are unfortunately not mine to own. All characters originated with and belong to JKR, I'm just borrowing them for a little while._

Chapter One

Just friends?

Who would have thought I'd fall in love with the one person I was not allowed to? My best friend in the world, someone who's fun, clever and gorgeous… wait… gorgeous? This was never supposed to happen. I mean, don't get me wrong, we'd always loved each other. But this was not supposed to happen.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, I'm Ginny. Ginny Weasley. The youngest Weasley. The cute one. Always and forever, the cute one who no one really takes seriously because she's too young and too cute and too… I don't really know. Young, I suppose everyone just sees the youngness.

Back to the story.

Ginny and Hermione had always been close. Hermione had always understood Ginny in a way that no one else had ever bothered to. One of the problems with older brothers is that they just don't understand girl problems. Ginny had had other friends, other girl friends, other witch daughters, but nothing like Hermione. They seemed to understand each other on another level. A level that Ginny didn't even know she'd been looking for. Having found it, neither of them could ever let it go.

They talked for hours on end, sneaking away to make sure no one overheard their conversations. Ginny poured out her heart to Hermione and for the first time in her life, received the same kind of out-pouring in return. When things started to change between them, they changed very slowly. Quick hugs before bedtime evolved to sleeping in the same bed, and then to snuggling close while fast asleep. The feeling of fingers against the backs of hands, and then the backs of necks, against ears and cheeks and lips was a slow progression. Boundaries were never pushed, they were just found to not exist.

"Hey Ginny?" Hermione asked, idly tracing designs on the back of Ginny's hand.

"Mmm?"

"I was wondering… have you ever had a friend like this? I mean, have you ever felt close to someone like this?"

"No. Why?" Ginny sat up, pulling her hand away from Hermione and brushing her own hair out of her eyes. She'd always been jealous of Hermione's hair it was so beautifully curly.

"I was just curious. I mean, I've had a couple of close friends, but… it's just… never been like this, you know? I don't really know what it means."

Ginny shrugged. "My philosophy is that if it feels good, it's probably good. I don't think about it much. I just go with how I feel."

Hermione smiled. "I know, Gin. I'm kind of jealous 'cause I've never been able to do that."

"I'll teach you." Ginny said with an impish smile, then reached up and tucked Hermione's hair behind her ear. Hermione immediately went stiff.

"Calm down, you goof. I'm not messing it up."

"I know. I just… I know." Hermione sighed. "C'mon, we'd better get down to supper. The boys will start to worry if we don't."

"I doubt it, frankly," Ginny groused good-naturedly as she got to her feet, and reached down to help Hermione up. She hugged the other girl, hard and quickly, and then started down the stairs from the dormitory.

"Hey, wait a minute," Ginny was brought up short by two strong arms encircling her shoulders. "I want a better hug than that," Hermione whispered in her ear.

"Later," Ginny tried without success to hide her smile, already half-turning in Hermione's arms to hold her close. As Hermione's hair tickled her nose, she giggled and pulled back. Hermione raised an eyebrow at her and Ginny wrinkled her nose.

"I like the smell of your hair, don't get me wrong, but it makes me sneeze if it gets too close." Hermione blushed and stepped back, smoothing out her robes.

"Oh, come off it, Hermione. Let's go down to supper."

"Yeah. Okay."

Supper was, as always, almost a trial. The need to touch each other was overwhelming, but it wasn't exactly a conducive environment. Even touching each other's toes was more or less impossible; there were just too many pairs of feet under the Gryffindor table. Instead, they listened half-heartedly to the boys discuss everything from how Lavender's hair looked today to Snape's impossible Potions essay to whether the weather would be good for the Slytherin versus Ravenclaw Quidditch match this weekend. Neither of the boys noticed that the girls weren't talking to anyone, but seemed almost lost in each other's eyes.

Unbeknownst to any of the four friends, someone else was paying attention.

_How could THAT have happened? How had she chosen someone else over him… especially a girl? It was wrong, it was disgusting, it was unheard of. He didn't even want to think about it._ Excusing himself politely, Colin Creevy quietly left the table, glancing back at Ginny just once before leaving the Hall altogether.


	2. Inner Demons

Chapter 2

Inner Demons

Colin was seething when he arrived back in his dormitory. It seemed unlikely that Ginny had noticed his departure; she was far too interested in something else. The mere thought of his Ginny in the arms of anyone else made him gag, but he clenched his teeth. He wouldn't give her the pleasure of being sick about it. Not that she cared, obviously.

Absently, he wondered why. Not deeply enough to seriously consider that Hermione was any better than he was, just enough to roll his eyes and assume Ginny didn't know what she was getting herself into. Didn't everyone, he grimaced again, experiment a little in her youth? He'd heard some odd stories from the older wizards in the common room, after all. In such a confined space as the girl's dormitories, maybe one thing had led to another and they weren't aware it had even happened.

He shrugged, grabbed his Charms text and sat down at the table, still fuming. He was going to sit here, take notes and not even look up when Little Miss Gorgeous Weasley walked in the door. Yes, that was his plan and he was sticking to it. Busily, he grabbed ink and parchment.

About half an hour later, he was getting tired of righteous indignation. It was more wearing than he had anticipated. He relaxed a little, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand and placing his quill carefully on the parchment in front of him. Of course, the second he relaxed, _she_ showed up. He could hear the giggled "Canis meus id comedit" from outside before she stumbled into the room, gasping for breath and clutching to Hermione's arm to stay upright. Vaguely, he wondered what on earth was so funny. His question was answered as Ron stumbled into the common room in feathers. Apparently, Fred and George had managed to hide one of their Canary Creams in his supper. He smiled humourlessly and went back to work, not looking up when Ginny stopped by his table.

"Hi, Colin," she said brightly.

"Hullo, Ginny," he still didn't look up. He was rather proud of that.

"Oh. Umm. I was wondering if I could study with you?"

"Why don't you ask Hermione? You two seem to be getting along right well." He couldn't keep the venom out of his voice, but he hadn't really wanted to try, either.

He could almost hear her blushing.

"Well, maybe I will. Bye, then." He allowed himself to glance up as she walked away, his eyes hard as agates.

Ginny stamped up the stairs to the dormitory. How could he insinuate something between Hermione and herself? There was nothing going on, after all. She shook off the feeling that she wanted something more. She knew that more wasn't something she was prepared to deal with quite yet. It made more sense to try to work out what was going on right now than to worry about what would happen later. Sighing, she grabbed a textbook and curled up in bed, preparing to read a few chapters without making notes.

"Ginny?"

"Hi."

"Is everything all right? You left pretty quickly." Hermione looked concerned as she sat at the edge of Ginny's bed, not quite close enough to touch her.

"Yeah. Colin's just being a creep, that's all." Ginny tried to sound lighthearted, but apparently, it didn't work the way she'd planned.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing. Nothing important. I'm fine. You have studying to do, too. It's okay. I'm okay." Ginny buried her nose back in her book.

"If you're sure."

"I am." She smiled over the cover of the text and then dove back in.

"Gin. You're lying." Hermione hid a smile as she plucked the book from her friends' hands. She turned it over, closed it and put it on the bed between them. "Even you don't read upside down."

Ginny sighed, dropping her head into her hands.

"It's nothing, really, Hermione. I just… I can't talk about it with you, that's all. I'm a little confused about it and you're in the middle of everything. I'm okay. It's okay. We're okay. I promise." She reached out and grasped Hermione's hand, twining their fingers together. It had amazed them how well their hands fit together, like each had been looking for the perfect match all along.

"If you're sure. Do you want to study with us?"

"No. I'm going to sleep, I think. Ate too much or something. I'm okay."

"Better than okay, I hope." Hermione smiled down at her friend, and then leaned over to give her a hard hug. Ginny clung to her for just a second longer than she'd expected, and let go reluctantly.

"Good night."


	3. Confusion

Chapter 3

Confusion

Hermione walked slowly back down the stairs, troubled by her talk with Ginny. The younger girl had been speaking a little too quickly for things to be okay. Hermione knew Ginny wouldn't hide things from her without good reason, but she worried all the same. The look on Ginny's face as she'd walked up the stairs to the dormitory was enough to freeze oil, for goodness sake.

Hermione sighed. If only she had the answers Ginny was looking for. Even though her friend had never asked her directly, Hermione knew what was happening to their relationship. It was being tangled in the feelings they had. Tangled in her wants, which she didn't know she'd wanted. She shook her head. The easiest way to deal with this was to talk to Colin. She squared her shoulders and marched into the common room.

"Colin?"

He barely glanced up. "Yes." It wasn't a question. It wasn't an answer. It was just a statement of his acceptance she was there. That riled her enough to push herself into his line of vision. She slammed her hands palm-down on the table, forcing his startled gaze to her eyes.

"What did you say to her, Colin? She's very upset up there." Hermione's voice was soft and pleasant, but there was fire in her eyes.

"I said I didn't want to study with her, that's all." His voice was high pitched; she'd obviously scared him a little. She gloated about that for a second.

"Bull shit, Colin. She wouldn't be flustered by that. What did you say to her?"

"I suggested she go study with you, as you seem to be getting along so well." There was a definite sneer in his voice. Hermione raised one eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that? We've always gotten along well, Colin." She was losing ground fast now, and she knew it. She only hoped he didn't, too.

"I've seen you sneaking off, Hermione," his voice was a furious whisper, now. "I've seen you fix each other's hair and clothes. You take every opportunity to touch each other possible."

"Colin," Hermione tried to laugh, but it stuck in her throat. "There is nothing going on between Ginny and I. We're like sisters. If you think there's some kind of… of… romantic entanglement going on here, you're wrong." She could feel her hands shaking, and she pulled them back from the table, twisting them behind her back instead.

"I don't believe you," he said stubbornly. "She wouldn't have said no if there wasn't someone else. You're the only person she's spending time with." He went pale; he hadn't meant to say that.

"Listen to me, Colin Creevy, and listen well. If you accuse her of something like that again, I will personally tear your throat out with my bare hands. She doesn't need that shit, and nor do I. Keep it to yourself." Her voice was so quiet she could barely hear it. She'd never been so angry in her life. She abruptly turned around and headed back up the dormitory stairs, leaving him looking after her with a mixture of shock and anger on his face.

Hermione stopped halfway up the stairs and sat down, hard. _That_ had been unexpected. She hadn't thought anyone would notice she and Ginny were getting closer. Hell, she'd barely noticed and she was in the middle of it. Furiously, she rubbed her eyes with the tips of her fingers. This wasn't supposed to happen! Maybe it would be best if they stopped seeing each other quite so much. Ginny would understand. She had to understand.

The thought of telling Ginny they couldn't be together all the time made Hermione's heart shudder to a stop, her throat close up. Did she really want that? If she were honest with herself, she wanted nothing of the sort. Ginny's mere presence calmed Hermione's nerves when she needed it. Ginny never asked for more than Hermione could give her and always gave as much as she needed. If Hermione needed a shoulder to cry on, or someone to annoy; someone to goof around with; someone to be with; she always had Ginny, and she knew that. She loved Ginny, and she knew that Ginny loved her. There was something tacit about their relationship. Something that never needed to be said. Most everything that never needed to be said.

Hermione sat on the stairs and cried, unaware that just a few feet away; Ginny was doing the same. Both were silent. Neither wanted to worry the other.

Several minutes later, Ginny walked past the top of the stairs, planning to wash her face in cold water and then curl up in a miserable ball in bed. As she passed, she saw a familiar outline hunched on the stairs.

"Hermione? What… what are you doing?"

"Nothing. Nothing, I'm fine." Hermione tried to hide a sniff with a cough, but it didn't work.

"Are you crying? Hermione, why are you crying?" Ginny raced down the stairs to see her friend.

"Stupid reasons." Hermione giggled wetly. "It's no big deal."

"It is, you're crying. Here… let's get you to bed and you can tell me about it."


	4. Letting Go

_Disclaimer: No infringement of copyright is intended. All characters originated with JKR._

_A/N: A huge vote of thanks to both my wonderfully faithful reviewers, notesofwimsey and .Miss.H.Granger. Your support and notes are a godsend._

Chapter 4

Letting Go

Hermione leaned on Ginny as they walked up the stairs. Her physical presence made things easier. Feeling the other girls' hands on her arm, on her back, helping her up the stairs made her feel better. However, as much as she felt better, she felt worse that she might lose this. If things kept getting complicated, if they kept getting lost, it would be better to end things, wouldn't it?

The mere thought redoubled her tears. How could she even consider doing that to her friend? Ginny had given her everything, and Hermione had selfishly, perhaps, grasped every last piece Ginny was willing to hand over. Hermione needed Ginny; she knew that. She wished she didn't, but there it was.

Ginny carried her sobbing friend up the stairs, sitting her carefully down on the bed, and kneeling on the floor to take off the other girls' shoes. Almost as an afterthought, she pulled off Hermione's socks, too. She knew the older girl hated to sleep in her socks.

"Hermione?" Ginny's fingers smoothed her hair, gently moving the tangled curls behind her ears. "Hermione, sweetheart, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"I don't… I don't know, Gin. I don't know." Ginny, realizing a lost battle, unbuttoned Hermione's cardigan, folding it carefully at the end of the bed, loosing her necktie and placing it on top of the jumper. Then she sat at the head of the bed, reached out and pulled the older girl into her arms.

"Shhh. Hush, its okay. Everything will be okay." Tenderly, she rocked her friend in her arms until she'd cried herself to sleep. Smiling against her charges' hair, Ginny reached down slowly and gathered the comforter in her hands, pulling it up around Hermione's chin. Settling back more comfortably against the wall, she drifted off, ignoring the tears streaking down her own cheeks.

Hermione woke up hot. That was the problem with crying yourself to sleep against someone's chest. That was the problem with sleeping with Ginny- they were both hot sleepers, and yet they slept too close together to fix much of that.

She sat up slowly, trying not to disturb Ginny.

"Where are you going?" Ginny's sleepy whisper seemed to echo in Hermione's ears. "Oooh, my shoulders."

"Just to wash my face and put on some pajamas, Gin. I'll be right back. Go back to sleep." Ginny nodded sleepily, curled up in the warm space left by Hermione's body and promptly fell back to sleep. Hermione watched her for a moment, smiling fondly at how Ginny hiked the covers up around her neck and curled into a ball, taking up maybe a quarter of the bed. She cast a quick look at the alarm clock. Three a.m. Oh dear. No wonder Ginny had felt pain in her shoulders; she'd been sleeping against the wall for at least four hours. Hermione wasn't sure what time she'd fallen asleep, but she knew she'd been discovered on the stairs just after ten. She shrugged; she'd find a way to make it up to her. Reaching down, she smoothed Ginny's hair off her forehead and then quickly walked down the hall to the washroom.

Hermione sat on the lid of the toilet for probably fifteen minutes before she even started to think about what had brought her there in the first place. She had to find a way to talk to Ginny about this whole… misconception. She just didn't know how to do it. The concept of the two of them in a romantic relationship was so far out of her comfort zone she didn't know how to think around it, let alone talk about it. Maybe it was best to simply wait until the summer started. They'd have at least couple of weeks apart, maybe things would clear up on their own. She shook her head, dropping her face into her hands. That was never going to work, and she knew it.

She sighed, standing up and walking over to the sink. She washed her face in cold water, hoping to bring down the swelling around her eyes a little bit, then in hot water, hoping to warm up. Brushing her teeth took only another second, and then she skulked back into the dorm. She grabbed her pajamas and slipped into them quickly, leaving her clothes on the floor, and crawled back into bed with Ginny.

Ginny immediately woke up and made room for her friend. Hermione smiled, then reached out and pulled Ginny close. She lay awake for a time, feeling the smaller girls' body conform to her own, letting Ginny's breathing calm and relax her. By the time she'd fallen asleep, she'd made up her mind.

She wasn't giving this up. No matter how many people questioned her. She loved Ginny and that was that.

Ginny stumbled through nightmares. She was walking along a busy street, through Hogwarts corridors, in the field behind the Burrow with Hermione, they were talking, and suddenly Hermione was nowhere to be found. Ginny dashed through the streets, calling her name over and over again until her voice was hoarse. She woke, stirred fitfully, and realized Hermione's arms were around her.

She relived the nightmare more than once. It was as familiar to her as her own name. She had been having these nightmares for months now. She never told Hermione that's why she woke up during the night. She told herself it was because she didn't want to worry the older girl.

The real reason was she didn't want to lose her like she'd lost her so many times every night. Didn't want to lose the amazingly clever and wonderful person who she might just be feeling a little more than friendship for. And _that_ scared her more than anything else.

"I love you, Hermione," she whispered as soundlessly as possible, trying out the words. "I love you."

_A/N 2: "My" Hermione, Ginny, and the other characters in this story wear the uniforms chosen by the costuming department in the fourth installment of the Warner Bros. movies. Just something random I thought I'd throw in there, in case any of you reading were curious._


	5. Talking it Out

_Disclaimer: No infringement of copyright is intended. All characters originated with JKR._

Chapter 5

Talking It Out

Hermione stirred, hearing an alarm clock from a long way off. Blinking sleepily, she stretched, realizing Ginny had already risen; her side of the bed was empty and cold. Pushing herself up on her elbows, she realized there was no alarm clock; just a ringing in her ears. Too much crying last night, she'd given herself a tension headache.

Wincing, she sat up fully, and then smiled as she saw a hot cup of tea (probably charmed to keep it so) sitting on the table beside her bed with a couple of Muggle Advil and a note.

"Heaven knows why you take these things when you could just magic away the tension, but I dug them out of your trunk anyway. I left for breakfast about eight. You owe me for last night, H. Bear that in mind.

Yours always,

G"

Hermione grinned, swallowing the two pills with a mouthful of tea. Just enough milk and just enough sugar, one of the first things the two girls had randomly decided they needed to know about the other one. Ginny took milk with two sugars, Hermione two and a half. Tea, music, and books: that's what their relationship was based on. Glancing at the grandfather clock standing in the corner of the dorm, Hermione decided she could afford to wait until Ginny came back, it was already quarter to nine, and Ginny didn't usually linger over breakfast. Besides, if she waited, Ginny might take pity and bring up… ah, yes, there she was.

Ginny burst through the door with a bowl of cold cereal and a small container of yogurt, balancing a spoon in the bowl.

"Morning, sunshine. 'Bout time you woke up." Ginny dumped the bowl, spoon and yogurt unceremoniously on the bedside table and threw herself down on the bed. She stretched languorously, grimacing.

"Ouch."

"Oh, stop being a baby. Come sit here." Hermione patted the bed in front of her. Ginny grimaced again.

"Don't want to move."

"Come on. Come here." Ginny sighed and dragged herself over, sitting facing away from Hermione. Hermione smiled, and carefully started working the knots out of the smaller girls' shoulders.

"Bloody hell, how did you manage to do this to yourself?"

"Some great lump fell asleep on me and I wasn't wise enough to move." Ginny said light-heartedly, closing her eyes and leaning back into the hands gently massaging her back. "Mmm… that feels good."

Hermione's hands stopped for a second, and then continued. "Thank you."

"For what?" Ginny tried to turn around to face her friend, but Hermione's hands kept her facing forward.

"For last night. Thank you."

"That's what friends are for, Hermione. You don't have to thank me."

"I know." They were silent for a time as Hermione cautiously eased the tension from Ginny's sore muscles. They relaxed into the rather domestic feeling, the older girls' fingers moving surely on her friends' back, glad to be touching, glad to be touched. Hermione's hands stopped, and Ginny leaned back into her friend.

"Want to tell me why you were crying?"

"Not really."

"You talked to Colin, didn't you?" Ginny didn't bother to turn around yet, but drew Hermione's arms around her shoulders, holding her hands fast.

"Yes, I did. I yelled at him. Well, not really. Whispered at him. But angrily."

"I figured. You want to talk about it?"

"He thinks there's something going on that's not. What's to talk about?" Ginny pulled herself away from the other girl and turned around.

"Is it not?" She fixed her friend with a piercing blue stare that seemed to look right through into her heart.

"I don't know. Is it?" Hermione squirmed under that gaze.

"What counts as romantic? Snuggling? Taking every advantage to touch each other? Sitting in the common room when it rains, drinking tea and reading books? Talking until four in the morning just because we want to? Being together all the time? 'Cause we do all that, Hermione."

"I know we do. I'm not… it's not… it doesn't feel like more than that to me, I suppose. I haven't found a boundary and so it can't be that. That doesn't make sense."

Ginny shook her head, smiling sardonically. "No, not really. It's not something more involved until you feel uncomfortable?"

Hermione squirmed again. "That's not what I meant."

"That's what it sounded like." Ginny's voice had gone flat, almost harsh, her eyes had hardened into chips of ice. "It sounds like you don't want to have anything to do with me. Is that the case?"

"No. No, of course not. Don't be stupid."

Ginny raised one eyebrow. "Stupid?" Hermione winced.

"That's not what I meant," she tried, but Ginny raised a hand and covered her mouth.

"Just stop for a second, okay? Breathe. Think about what you want to say before you say it. You'd be surprised how well that works." She smiled, some of the ice melting from her eyes.

Hermione closed her eyes, feeling Ginny's fingers on her lips like a brand. What was she feeling, anyway? This mixed up jumble of emotions that had her stomach in knots wasn't something deeper than friendship, was it?

Ginny took a deep breath. "I love you."

"I know. I love you, too." Hermione said in barely more than a whisper. Then, stronger: "but that doesn't mean anything is happening, does it? I mean, nothing romantic or… or sexual or anything."

Ginny turned away quickly. "Not if you don't want it to. Eat your breakfast and get dressed. I'm going to go start those Charms notes I didn't do last night."

Before Hermione could say another word, the smaller girl had disappeared.


	6. Some Quiet Time

_Disclaimer: No infringement of copyright is intended. All characters originated with JKR._

Chapter 6

Some Quiet Time

Ginny felt her heart was breaking as she walked down the stairs from the dormitory. She wasn't sure why. She wasn't sure she wanted something more involved than they already had. Maybe she did. She stopped on the stairs and sat down, thinking about it.

Her first dilemma was; what counts as "more." She considered that. _Kissing?_ She hadn't ever thought about kissing Hermione. She'd kissed her cheek, and her forehead when she was sick, and the back of her hand when she was being extravagant, but she'd never thought about actually kissing her. She wasn't even sure what that would feel like. She'd kissed her father, her mother and brothers, of course, but she'd never kissed anyone unrelated to her. Would it be strange? Awkward? She smiled. Yes, it would be awkward. Both she and Hermione were a little awkward. But would it be pleasantly awkward?

The more she thought about it, the more curious she was. She wasn't sure whether she would satisfy that curiosity, but… maybe.

Stretching, she stood up. She would finish her Charms homework and then try talking to Hermione again.

Hermione sat upstairs, still in bed, unenthusiastically eating cold cereal mixed in yogurt. She wasn't sure what she'd said wrong, but it'd been something, certainly. Sighing, she scraped the last of her cereal from the bowl, and decided she might as well try to talk to Ginny again. At least apologize for whatever she'd done wrong.

She dressed quickly, threw her hair into a ponytail- she didn't have time to play with it, and stamped down the stairs.

"Ginny?"

She glanced up, her eyes distant. "Yes?"

"Can we talk?"

"When I'm done my homework." Hermione stared at her.

"Seriously?"

"Yes. You're not ready to talk, Hermione. It's okay, honestly, but you're not ready. I'm trying to give you time. Don't make this harder than it already is." There was a pleading in Ginny's eyes, a fire behind their icy colour.

"You're what?"

"Trying to give you time. I thought about this. You need to." Ginny's voice had dropped to a whisper, even though there were only a couple of other students in the common room. "You need to decide what… capacity you want me to fill. I don't care what it is, but I need you to tell me. And that means you have to think about it."

"I have thought about it," Hermione said, a little defensively.

"Have you?" Ginny turned back to her homework.

"Yes, of course I have. It's not something that I've had to exactly deal with before. Feeling like this. Feeling… unsure. I'm not used to that."

"I know. Deal with it. I'm not going anywhere." Ginny didn't look up until after Hermione had walked away. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. _I know I had to. But I really didn't want to do it that way._

Hermione walked back into the dorm in a state of shock. "What was that?" she said aloud. "Damn."

So, she'd been given an ultimatum. She had to think about it. Okay. She was thinking about it.

She sat on her bed and worried her way through her own feelings. She didn't think she had a crush (ridiculous word, she grimaced) on Ginny, that was out of the question. Her feelings for Ginny were rather different than they had been for, oh, Gilderoy Lockhart. For one thing, she liked talking to Ginny. She liked feeling close to Ginny. She liked touching Ginny and being touched by Ginny, something she hadn't expected, but took in stride.

Hermione sat for about an hour, turning the same thoughts around in her head. Did she want more? Did she even know what more meant? Was she ready for whatever "more" might entail? She conceded that she probably knew the answer to the last one: a resounding "no," not that that would stop her.

Ginny tentatively tapped the tips of her fingers on the door, and then entered. She stood just inside the door as if unsure of how she'd be welcomed.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For talking to you like that, before."

Hermione smiled slightly. "I understand why you did. It's okay. We're okay."

Ginny smiled back, uncertainly. "Well, I know this will come to you as a shock, but I do know you rather well."

"Better than anyone in the world, Gin," Hermione said, her face straight and serious.

"Really?"

"Yes." Hermione's voice was decisive. "I… I thought about a few things."

"Like what?"

"Come here. Talking to you over there is weird. I'm not used to it. Please come in."

"Are you sure? What if someone comes in?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "I don't care. I want you here." Ginny looked surprised, but obeyed, sitting beside her friend on the bed.

"Thank you." Hermione lay back on the bed, reaching up and pulling Ginny down beside her. Instinctively, the two girls snuggled close, their bodies fitting together. As if the touch was magic, everything that had gone wrong the day before and that morning seemed to have disappeared. They felt safe again, warm again. Close again.

"Okay, so this is where I am," Hermione started, closing her eyes. "I like being with you. I like spending time with you. I like touching you and being touched by you. I don't know how much more of that I want, but I'm willing to try to work it out if you need me to. I don't know what more that means, but maybe it does mean something."

"Okay. That's what you think. What do you feel, Hermione?"

"I feel like… I don't know, Ginny. I think-"

"No, not think. Feel. They're different."

"Okay, okay. I feel." She moved restlessly, opening her eyes. "I don't know."

"I'm not pressuring. It's okay, Hermione." Ginny's fingers were on her mouth, preventing her from continuing. Hermione looked over at her friend, who was still laying there with her eyes closed. Hermione licked her lips, forgetting that Ginny's fingers were still closing them. Ginny opened one eye and glared at her, moving her hand and ostentatiously wiping her fingers on the other girls' shirt.

"I feel like I want to do more of this. Be close like this." Ginny smiled.

"I know that already," she chided gently. "Listen, I didn't get much sleep last night. I'm tired."

"Aww, you need a nap?" Hermione's voice was gently teasing.

"Yes." Ginny had already closed her eyes. Tucking her head under Hermione's chin, she slipped her hand down to rest lightly on Hermione's ribs through her shirt. "You've got no where better to be, have you?"

"Apparently you've made that decision for me," Hermione's voice had a smile in it.

"Yes. You're warm. No moving."

"Okay. I love you," she said simply

Ginny glanced up at her friend, her heart in her eyes, but Hermione was already dozing off. Ginny's brows creased a little in irritation, but quickly smoothed as she remembered it'd been her decision to stop talking about it.

"I love you, too," she said sleepily.

Within seconds, the two girls had fallen asleep, entwined together like they'd finally been made whole. Neither girl even stirred when someone closed the door very quietly, not wanting to intrude on their privacy.


	7. Unexpected

_Disclaimer: No infringement of copyright is intended. All characters originated with JKR._

Chapter 7

Unexpected

Natalya smiled to herself as she sneaked back down the stairs, muttering a cautious Anti-Creaking charm as she went. It was about time those two stopped sneaking around. They were both too stubborn, they probably still hadn't realized what they had was so special, and seemed to be just as oblivious to the fact that everyone else in Gryffindor tower was acutely aware of what was happening. Other than perhaps…

"Harry? Ron?" The two boys glanced up from their Exploding Snap tower. Ron's tongue was sticking out of the side of his mouth in concentration. Idly, Natalya wondered if he knew how ridiculous he looked.

"Er… yes?" Harry prompted.

"Is it okay if I study with you?" She raised one eyebrow. "If you're planning on getting around to studying, of course."

"We were waiting for Hermione and Ginny," Ron protested defensively.

"They might be a while. They're napping. I don't think either of them got a lot of sleep last night," she said, her voice dry.

Harry winced. "I saw them both going upstairs in a bad mood. I figured we should let them talk it out." Natalya was impressed, she hadn't thought either of them had noticed.

She sat down beside Harry. She liked the selflessness of the Boy Who Lived.

"Yeah, I volunteered to go beat Colin into a pulp, but I was told if I tried I'd have my tongue charmed to my navel until his bruises healed," Ron offered.

"Colin?"

"I do pay attention to who makes my baby sister cry, Nat, thanks."

"You heard she cried?"

"No, I saw her face when she went up the stairs. I know that look."

"Yeah, you've caused it a time or two," Harry smiled.

"I'm allowed, I'm her brother."

Natalya ignored the last exchange.

"Do you two know what's going on with them? Ginny and Colin, I mean." She knew it was blunt, but blunt probably worked better on the boys than trying to be subtle. Besides, she wanted answers now.

Ron sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Colin asked her out. She said no. He thinks it's 'cause she's in love with Hermione, and is spreading that around." He cracked his knuckles ominously.

"Is she?"

"Maybe," Harry shrugged. "I know their friendship goes quite a bit deeper than it looks. They need time together they never needed with us. If it's true, then it's cool. We just hope they figure it out without interference."

Ron nodded. "To be honest, Nat, as long as it's making them happy, I don't care." He covered the quiet nick of pain in his eyes very quickly.

Natalya's heart went out to the two boys. They were blindly letting their best friends work out whatever they needed to, ready to support whatever relationship sprang up, or didn't. Their apparent indifference was not, as she had thought, due to disgust or anger over the relationship. They were sitting back because they loved both girls too much to try to stand between them. They didn't want to hurt either.

Harry leaned back in his chair, stretching. "Shall we get to that bloody Divination homework?"

Ron nodded morosely. "At least I have a new prediction thought up."

"What's that?"

"Dying of boredom while doing my homework."

The three friends laughed as the Exploding Snap tower collapsed in a puff of smoke and ashes.

Natalya was quiet as they worked on studying, laughing quietly to herself the more outlandish and extreme the boy's predictions became.

"You've got yourself being decapitated twice," she pointed out as Harry finished his predictions with a flourish.

"I'll change what's being used. One can be a sword and the other… umm…"

"How about a silver platter?" came a sleepy voice from behind him.

"Ooh, good one," he turned and smiled at Hermione. "How're you holding up?"

She sat heavily beside Ron, smiling vaguely at Nat, rubbing her eyes before answering. "I'm okay. I left Ginny sleeping up there, she'll wake up soon, I think."

"Rough night?" Ron asked, his face a mask of concern.

"She'll be okay. She's just stressed out about that little shit, Colin."

"Even with you getting in his face yesterday?" Natalya asked.

Hermione looked startled.

"Oh come on, Hermione, you scared him, all of us could see that. You'd only get defensive about three things. Okay, maybe four." Nat counted them off on her fingers. "Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Crookshanks." She smiled a little obnoxiously. "Process of elimination proves it could only be Ginny."

Hermione glared at her, her eyes dark and mysterious.

"Not used to having people catch up with you, huh?" Nat pressed.

"Don't push your luck," Harry warned. Nat just grinned at him.

Hermione sighed, pulling Ginny's Charms essay towards her and Summoning a quill from Nat's hand to begin a quick review of it. Nat smiled and grabbed a second quill from her bag on the table beside her.

Harry smiled at her. "You need a cup of tea, Hermione?" She smiled gratefully at him and nodded.

Ron begged off a few minutes later, saying he had to get something from the library to finish his essay for Snape. As he left, he raised his eyebrows at Nat, his gaze darkly significant.

Natalya smiled reassuringly and nodded.

"Hermione?" she asked casually. Hermione glanced up at her. "This may seem a little forward, but… do you need someone to talk to?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Well, I know that you've been having trouble with Colin, and… well…"

"What?" Hermione's voice was flat and cold; her face had gone pale, with two spots of colour on her cheekbones.

"I saw you and Ginny. Cuddling while you were asleep. Upstairs, just an hour ago. I closed the door."

Hermione sighed, all the fight going out of her in that breath. "I thought I heard something. Listen, Nat, I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen or what's not. I'm so confused. I'm just a little lost, I think." She smiled, her lower lip quivering a little as tears stood in her eyes. "I don't want to hurt her, but I don't know what to do."

Nat smiled reassuringly, reached over and took the quill from Hermione's hand. "Let's go see where Harry's gotten to with that tea, shall we?"

"Just let me leave a note." As the other girl wrote, Nat smiled again.

"I don't know what you're so worried about. You two are practically married already. I think it's cute," she said quickly, raising her hands. "The boys are just waiting to see what happens, you know that, right?"

Hermione nodded wearily. "I know. I don't know what to tell either of them."

"Don't tell them anything. They'll know when they need to. It's okay, no one is expecting you to know the answers to this one, Hermione."


	8. Action

_Disclaimer: No infringement of copyright is intended. All characters originated with and belong to JKR._

Chapter 8

A-c-t-i-o-n

Hermione smiled gratefully at Natalya as they left. She hoped Ginny wouldn't mind they'd left without her. Her note had told Ginny she was welcome to join them in the Dining Hall, if they were still there, and that she hoped to be back about an hour after they'd left.

"So, Nat, what do you think I should do, then?" Hermione said carefully as they walked down the stairs.

"I think you should go with how you feel. Do you love Ginny?"

"Yes," Hermione said without hesitation.

"How much?"

"Enough," she said with a slight smile. She'd had that discussion with Ginny a time or two. Ginny asked her often, when they were apart for any reason, how much she was loved. Hermione always started with "enough." When Ginny grew flustered with that answer, she'd changed it to "more than there are stars in the sky." That seemed to get her a smile every time.

"Hermione."

"Okay, okay. I love her very much. She…" Hermione paused, searching for the words she wanted. "She… made me understand what love means, I guess."

"Then let her know that however it seems best to do so."

Suddenly, Hermione had a very clear image of what she wanted to do.

"Apologize to the boys for me?" she stammered.

"Sure," Nat said with a grin. "Go get 'em, tiger."

Hermione gave her a tight smile and dashed back up the corridor. It seemed to take forever to get back into the common room, and then she took the dorm steps two at a time. Cautiously, she cracked open the door to the dorm. Ginny seemed to be still asleep. She sat on the edge of the bed, watching the younger girl sleep.

Ginny smiled as the first thing she saw was Hermione's face. "Hey, beautiful," she whispered. "How are you?"

"Better, now that I'm with you." Ginny impulsively sat up and kissed Hermione gently, full on the lips.

Hermione blinked, her eyes going wide.

Ginny blushed, looking away. "I… I'm sorry, Hermione, I didn't… I-" her voice was cut off as Hermione's fingers cautiously lifted her face. Soft, inviting, and sweet, the chaste kiss seemed to last for years.

"Damn it, Ginny," Hermione said, sitting back. "I wanted to be the first one to do that."

Ginny, her cheeks still flushed, smiled. "I told myself I was going to wait until you'd decided."

"I decided," Hermione said with a smile. She leaned forward and kissed Ginny again, quickly. The action was quickly becoming too easy. Her face became serious. "We're going to have to tell the boys, you know."

Ginny groaned, throwing herself back on the bed. "Why do you have to be so damn practical all the time? Stop thinking about it involving other people. It's not about other people, it's about us."

"I know that," Hermione protested quickly, "but they've been sitting back, watching us hurting and not doing anything to mess it up, because they wanted us to be happy. Look, Ginny, I'm sorry that… that I'm not good at this. I didn't really expect it, and…" now it was her turn to be cut off.

"At least now I have a more sure way of shutting you up," Ginny grinned cheekily. "Come sit with me properly."

Hermione sighed. "We should get our homework done," she said morosely, hiding a smile.

"We have better things to do," Ginny replied seriously.

"I guess we do," Hermione smiled, leaning into Ginny's hand on her cheek. She turned her face and placed a quick kiss on the palm of Ginny's hand.

"So, found those boundaries yet?" Ginny asked as Hermione moved to sit closer to her.

Hermione smiled against her lips. "Nope, and I don't think I will, either."

"Promise?" Ginny smiled back.

Hermione answered her with a kiss.

THE END

_A/N: So the ending kind of came up and bit me in the ass. A huge thank you to my reviewers, notesofwimsey, .Miss.H.Granger., improvidiot,madridcc, and Serephine._


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